# գաւառ
## Old Armenian
### Etymology

The origin is uncertain. J̌ahukyan compares to Middle Persian [script needed] (pargawār, “environs, sides”), which is found in some dictionaries but not MacKenzie, who has Middle Persian [script needed] (plywʾl /⁠parwār⁠/, “citadel; circumvallation; suburb, surroundings”) possibly as an alternative reading of the same word. Note also Northern Kurdish dever (“region”) and war (“realm, station, camp”).

### Noun

գաւառ • (gawaṙ)
* district, region, canton
* (historical) a political subdivision of ancient Armenia, smaller than նահանգ (nahang, “province”)
** 7th century, Anania Širakacʻi, Ašxarhacʻoycʻ [Geography] :Վեցերորդ՝ Կորճէք յելից կայ Մոկաց առ Ասորեստանիւ։ Եւ գաւառս ունի մետասան․ զԿորդիս, զԿորդիս վերին, զԿորդիս միջին, զԿորդիս ներքին, զԱյտուանս, զՄոթղանս, զՈրսիրանս, զԿարատունիս, զՃահուկ, զՓոքր Աղբակ։ Եւ ունի զառիկ․ եւ ի պտղոց՝ շահդանակ։Vecʻerord, Korčēkʻ yelicʻ kay Mokacʻ aṙ Asorestaniw. Ew gawaṙs uni metasan; zKordis, zKordis verin, zKordis miǰin, zKordis nerkʻin, zAytuans, zMotʻłans, zOrsirans, zKaratunis, zČahuk, zPʻokʻr Ałbak. Ew uni zaṙik; ew i ptłocʻ, šahdanak.1992 translation by Robert H. HewsenKorčēkʿ is east of Mokkʿ by Assyria. It has eleven districts: Kordis, Upper Kordis, Middle Kordis, Lower Kordis, Aytuans, Motʿłans, Orsirans, Karatunis, Čahuk, and Lesser Ałbak. It has arsenic and among its fruits is the chestnut.

#### Derived terms

* անգաւառ (angawaṙ)
* բարիգաւառեայ (barigawaṙeay)
* բարձրագաւառ (barjragawaṙ)
* բնագաւառ (bnagawaṙ)
* գաւառակ (gawaṙak)
* գաւառակալ (gawaṙakal)
* գաւառական (gawaṙakan)
* գաւառակից (gawaṙakicʻ)
* գաւառակողմն (gawaṙakołmn)
* գաւառակոյտ (gawaṙakoyt)
* գաւառային (gawaṙayin)
* գաւառապետ (gawaṙapet)
* գաւառապետաբար (gawaṙapetabar)
* գաւառապետական (gawaṙapetakan)
* գաւառապետեմ (gawaṙapetem)
* գաւառապետութիւն (gawaṙapetutʻiwn)
* գաւառասիրեմ (gawaṙasirem)
* գաւառատեսուչ (gawaṙatesučʻ)
* գաւառատէր (gawaṙatēr)
* գաւառացի (gawaṙacʻi)
* ինքնագաւառեայ (inkʻnagawaṙeay)
* համագաւառ (hamagawaṙ)
* հոմագաւառ (homagawaṙ)
* ձորագաւառ (joragawaṙ)
* չարագաւառեայ (čʻaragawaṙeay)
* ստորագաւառ (storagawaṙ)
* վերնագաւառ (vernagawaṙ)

#### Descendants

* Armenian: գավառ (gavaṙ), գաւառ (gawaṙ) — traditional orthography
** Kurdish:
    → Northern Kurdish: kavar

### References

* ↑ J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “գաւառ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 153a
* ↑ Abrahamyan, Ṙ. (1965) “pargavār”, in G. M. Nalbandyan, editor, Pahlaveren-parskeren-hayeren-ṙuseren-angleren baṙaran [Pahlavi–Persian–Armenian–Russian–English Dictionary], Yerevan: University Press, page 219
* ↑ Farahvashī, Bahrām (1979) Farhang-e fārsi beh pahlavi [Persian–Pahlavi Dictionary]‎, Tehran, pages 33, 244
* ↑ MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) “parwār”, in A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 65

### Further reading

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “գաւառ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 527–528, tentatively derives from unattested Hurro-Urartian or a “Caucasian” language, comparing Georgian გვარი (gvari, “genus, kin, kind, sort, family”), but this is now known to be an unrelated cognate of գոհար (gohar)
* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “գաւառ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
* Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “գաւառ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
* Thorsø, Rasmus (2023) Prehistoric loanwords in Armenian: Hurro-Urartian, Kartvelian, and the unclassified substrate‎, PhD dissertation, Leiden University, page 87